Sin vs Sin, This Is Not A Play On Words Part-5

Death came into the world because of what man (Adam) did, and it is because of what this other man (Jesus) has done that now there is the resurrection from the dead.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12).

We have already found that because of what one man, Adam did, sin entered the world and death spread throughout the world.  We know that everything began to grow old and die.  But now we want to look at the contrast between the one who started all of this and the one who end all of this.

Sin vs Sin, This Is Not A Play On Words Part-4

Yes, it dawned on us that there could be another definition or meaning for the word sin.  We now believed the phrase; All have sinned referred to a point in time when everyone sinned.  The only time that this could be referring to had to be back in the beginning, in the beginning of God’s creation.  The phrase actually points to the very moment when all were in one man, Adam.  You see, when Adam fell, the entire human race was constituted or formally established as sinners.

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous (Romans 5:19).

Sin vs Sin, This Is Not A Play On Words Part-3

Adam is the one who started all of this.  When Adam sinned, sin entered the world and affected the entire human race.  With the sin, death entered the world and it too affected the entire human race.  Therefore, through the one man sin entered into the world and death caught a ride, both affecting the entire human race.  Adam’s sin spread death throughout all the world, so everything began to grow old and die (for sin entered into the world and death followed sin into the world).

We know that it was Adam’s sin that caused this because according to the scriptures, people were sinning from the time of Adam until Moses and God did not judge them guilty of death for breaking his laws, because he had not yet given his laws to them, nor had he told them what he wanted them to do.  We also know from the scriptures that when their bodies died it was not for their own sins since they themselves had never disobeyed God’s special law against eating the forbidden fruit, as Adam had.

Sin vs Sin, This Is Not A Play On Words Part-2

After defining the word all, to mean all-inclusive or everyone, the group was asked another set of questions:  How does that definition apply to this scripture, For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin?

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (II Corinthians 5:21).

For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins.  Then, in exchange, he poured God’s goodness into us (him who knew no sin, he made sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him).

Sin vs Sin, This Is Not A Play On Words

In a recent discussion among fellow believers, one of the believers posed several questions to the group.  The first set of questions posed to the group was:  Define the word all in the scripture; For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)?  Does all mean all inclusive?  The initial response by all who were asked these questions was one of two responses; All means all-inclusive or All means everyone.  The group of believers was then asked the following question; Does that mean everyone without exception?  The response from the group was collectively; Yes, all means all-inclusive without exception.

A Third Class – Part III

According to our earlier examination of Romans 8:1, we saw that there was therefore no condemnation for anyone who is in or belongs to Christ Jesus.  We determined that there were two groups, those who where in Christ Jesus, them being the believers, the saved, or the Christians and those who were not in Christ Jesus, them being the non-believers or the unsaved.  We also found that many translations omitted this part of the passage, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  Up on further examination, we discovered this omitted text to be vital in the understanding and interpretation of this passage.  We can see from the omitted text that there be a qualifier for them which are in Christ Jesus.  A qualifier is something that has the ability to restrict, limit, alter, or modify the meaning of something else.  Imagine that, something in the word of God that actually restricts, limits, alters, or modifies the meaning of them who be in Christ Jesus.  It appears that there just might be another group amongst those that are in Christ Jesus.

A Third Class – Part II

Let us quickly summarize what we have discovered thus far.  In our initial examination of Romans 8:1, we determined that there appeared to be two groups, those who where in Christ Jesus (the believers) and those who were not in Christ Jesus (the non-believers), even though the passage only mentions one group.  We also placed these two groups or classifications on a finite line with two extreme endpoints, with those in Christ Jesus to the extreme far right and those not in Christ Jesus to the extreme far left.  We placed everyone else somewhere in between, depending on their association to the two extremes.  We also determined that Satan would go after those toward the extreme far right; them who be in Christ Jesus, the believers because them toward the extreme far left had already committed themselves to him.

We re-examined Romans 8:1 to discover that there are some who are in Christ Jesus that believe there is nothing they can do to lose their salvation and be plucked from the hand of Christ.  They live a lifestyle of their choosing and regardless of what they do; they believe they will always be forgiven as long as they get on their knees and confess their sins.  The phrase, carnal Christian was coined to define the believer who confesses and believes in Christ Jesus, but lives a lifestyle that does not appear to glorify God while claiming the forgiveness and acceptance of God.  Could this be that other group, that third classification we discussed earlier?